Public Relations: WrightNews
MONTEL to feature WrightChoice Inc. Executive Director Tykiah Wright
Columbus, OH. -WrightChoice Inc. Executive Director and Founder Tykiah Wright will be featured on The Montel Williams Show on February 22, 2008 as a finalist for the Voices. One voice can lead to a chorus of change®. Campaign. Voices is an annual campaign that honors women across America for their passion, leadership, and achievements as everyday women who raise their voices to create positive change.
The Voices campaign is sponsored by Charming Shoppes, Inc., the parent company of four distinct retail brands including Lane Bryant, Fashion Bug, Catherines Plus Sizes, and Petite Sophisticate. The company has teamed up with The Montel Williams Show to honor the finalists. “I am honored to receive this national recognition by Charming Shoppes and The Montel Williams Show,” stated Wright. “This award will serve as a national platform for WrightChoice to speak on its commitment to inclusion in the workplace.” Wright was selected out of thousands of nominees and was chosen as one of the five finalists. Wright will appear on The Montel Williams Show and will be honored by Dorrit Bern, CEO of Charming Shoppes, and presented with a $20,000 charitable grant to support WrightChoice Inc., in addition to being awarded a four-day Dream Come True Vacation to Walt Disney World Resort. The Montel Williams Show airs at 2:00pm weekdays on NBC 4 in Columbus, Ohio. WrightChoice, Inc. is the leading non-profit intern recruitment and diversity inclusion organization providing social and economic empowerment for minority students as well s students with disABILITIES. By developing lasting partnerships with businesses/industry WrightChoice is opening doors for employment that will impact a well educated but untapped workforce.
AAPD Award Video featuring TyKiah Wright
Workers with Disabilities: Talent for a Winning Team!
is 2007 National Disability Employment Awareness Month theme
WASHINGTON - U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao today announced that "Workers with Disabilities: Talent for a Winning Team!" will be the official 2007 theme for National Disability Employment Awareness Month, which is observed in October nationwide.
"The 2007 'Talent for a Winning Team' theme captures the heart of the president's New Freedom Initiative, which is that Americans with disabilities are an underutilized reservoir of ambition, talent and skill ready to make great contributions in the workplace," said Secretary Chao.
Each October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month by congressional designation. The Labor Department's Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) leads the nation's activities and produces materials to increase the public's awareness of the contributions and skills of American workers with disabilities. Typically, private sector; federal, state and local government; and advocacy organizations piggyback on the same theme to plan events and programs that showcase the abilities of employees and job candidates with disabilities.
"America's employers benefit when they provide opportunities for Americans with disabilities to work," said Roy Grizzard, assistant secretary of labor for ODEP. "A winning team will include people with disabilities."
ODEP is the nation's first assistant secretary-led office that specifically addresses policies that impact the employment of people with disabilities. For example, ODEP has developed methods for the 3,500 One-Stop Career Centers nationwide to serve people with barriers to employment, including individuals with disabilities. Also, collaborating with sister Labor Department agencies - the Employment and Training Administration and the Civil Rights Center - ODEP developed a disability checklist to assist with implementation of Section 188 of the Workforce Investment Act at the local level.
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Wright Opens Doors Through Internet Talk Radio
TyKiah Wright was featured on "Disability Matters with Joyce Bender" an internet radio show on Voice America. This was an opportunity to have WrightChoice on a national platform.
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Bookbags 2 Briefcases
WrightChoice has an exclusive partnership with TotalCollegePrep (TCP). TCP offers an enhanced program for high school students with its unique online offering of college preparation services. With the TCP program, students will gain the benefit of a concentrated college preparatory program that will walk them through the steps of applying and preparing for college. This program will be coupled with the WrightChoice experience, which provides students with paid internship opportunities in interesting positions with prominent companies. Both programs combined create the "Bookbags 2 Briefcases" (B2B) scholarship/internship program, a unique experience for high school students that will prepare them for college and the workplace beyond.
Internships begin Fall 2007 but you can apply now to begin your college prep process.
Students must demonstrate financial need to qualify for B2B.
Attend the B2B Informational session April 26th at The Screens Movie theater in the Continent.
Please call 614-802-2364 for details or to register.
Executive Director receives national award
Washington, D.C.- The American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) announces that TyKiah Wright, Executive Director and founder of WrightChoice, Inc. has been selected by a national advisory committee to receive the 2007 Paul G. Hearne/AAPD Leadership Award for emerging leaders with disabilities.
Two recipients were chosen this year including Wright for being a strong advocate who used her personal experience and entrepreneurial skills to establish WrightChoice, Inc. a non-profit organization in Ohio. She grew up with Charcot-Marie Tooth disease, a neurological disorder that affects the lower leg and arm muscles. After receiving her Master's of Business Administration degree, Wright found herself unemployed. This experience motivated her to help other high school and college students with disabilities strengthen their career development skills and successfully find jobs and internships. WrightChoice, Inc. recently celebrated five years of successful business.
"I am elated that my hard work and passion for working in the disability community has been recognized by the AAPD," said Wright. "This is truly an honor for WrightChoice, Inc. as we continue to make an impact on the businesses as well as the lives of people with disabilities."
WrightChoice, Inc. is highly structured and has two divisions. The Intern Program is designed for college students with disabilities to complement their educational experience with on-the-job training. The Good Business Training program addresses diversity related training needs for employers offering seminars focused on disability awareness, the use of technology in the workplace, and leadership. Wright also oversees the Ohio High School/High Tech Program to help youth with disabilities explore jobs in the science, technology, and engineering fields.
"AAPD is delighted to be recognizing two extraordinary emerging leaders whose work is having a real impact in opening doors to opportunity and leadership for their colleagues with disabilities," said Andrew J. Imparato, AAPD President and CEO. "We are confident that the recognition they receive at our Leadership Gala will help them to expand their activities and achieve even greater results."
The 2007 Paul G. Hearne/AAPD Leadership Award recipients were selected on a highly competitive application basis by a national advisory committee to receive cash awards of $10,000 each to further their work in the disability community. This award program was established in 1999 to recognize and carry on the work of Paul G. Hearne, AAPD's founder and a renowned leader in the national disability community, and to realize Hearne's goal of cultivating emerging leaders to carry on the disability movement. To date, 42 awards of $10,000 each have been made.The award presentation will take place on March 7, 2007 in Washington D.C.
